Stories are powerful. Values, culture, morals and tradition are communicated through stories. Stories capture our imagination and can inspire change. In this section, I draw on three real stories to illustrate personal experiences of British-Indians who have engaged with India through service, the broader impact this has led toand lessons we can draw out to move forward. By creating more such authentic journeys, we have the ability to create a new rite of passage for the next generation of British-Indians.
“It’s given me a sense of purpose”
Anand is now studying Economics at one of the top 10 UK universities and aspires for a career through which he is intellectually challenged. He grew up in a non-ethnic, middle class area of the UK, which was very far from regular Indian community activities. Anand grew up in a tight knit family that practiced Indian customs and traditions in their home. At the age of 17, he participated in a 12-day programme that took him to India, where he interacted with inspiring change-makers; he spent time with chai walas, farmers and children in slums.
He said on his return, “It’s given me an insight into my father’s childhood. Although they were unfamiliar, I felt connected to the people I met there and what I experienced has pushed me to think harder about global issues and to look within myself and understand the journey I want to pursue. It’s given me a sense of purpose to do more with my future.” Anand said that his experience in India inspired him to develop a social enterprise that addresses the issues of food waste and homelessness, while at University. This was only his second visit to India. He was with his peers with whom he could share and reflect on his experiences.
A key insight to draw from this example is the need to plant seeds during these formative years. Facilitated visits such as this one, have the potential to shape how these young people see the world and their role in it.
“Sentiment can be used to jumpstart a deeper exploration”
Laxmi sought to feel closer to her grandfather, whose roots were in India. Community service was a central practice of his life, so volunteering felt like a way to understand both him and herself better. Laxmi served with an NGO that worked with children who were boot polishing, rag picking and begging out of the necessity to provide income for their families. Laxmi came away from her experience with a deep sense of responsibility towards the efforts of the NGO and believed that physical distance shouldn’t be a barrier to support their work. She went on to start a UK-based social enterprise to retail the products made by these children and others that work with similar ethos and values. This effort serves as a way to open a global market for these products, while also connecting the lives of those children to people in the UK. As part of her community activities in the UK, she mentored a 20-year old through a youth leadership programme. It was through this that she inspired him to explore his relationship to India, one which he had not considered before.
A key insight to draw here is that sentiment can be used to jumpstart a deeper exploration for one’s relationship to India. The ripple effect of a single person’s experience will inspire others.
“Exchanging skills and time through service”
Gibran, qualified as an architect and was accepted to a fellowship programme, through which he served with an NGO in Tamil Nadu to rebuild housing in communities affected by the 2004 tsunami. Inspired by his experience, he stayed on in India to work with a Kutch-based NGO, supporting slum communities, to build affordable housing. Through his experience, he was called to advise international development NGOs in Nepal and Pakistan, after they were hit by earthquakes. He now works for the UK Government to find solutions to the challenges of urban slums around the world. Rather than seeingtime in India as a gap year, time spent constructively working on complex social issues has the potential to fundamentally shift a person’s career trajectory.
A key insight here is that when people utilise their skills towards a shared goal with the local community, there is mutual benefit, which builds a deeper more equal connection.
A Call to Action
We are at a critical inflection point for the British-Indian community’s connection to India. As the stories of those Indians that came to the UK in the late 1960’s start to fade, we must look ahead to where the new stories connecting us to India will come from and what they will entail. The children born to British-Indians, who have lived their whole lives in the UK, will have even more distant ideas of India. There are other 5th generation Indian diaspora groups such as Dutch-Indians, Guyanese-Indians and many more we can look towards to see the direction the British-Indian relationship with India may take if we do not act now.
India has a vibrant social sector, which spans from faith-based charities to innovative technology led social businesses. There are dynamic people at each turn, whose sheer determination demonstrates the strength of human will, to shift how we look at an issue as somebody else’s problem or a challenge that we can help to address. Being exposed to this is both humbling and empowering. The NGO sector in India needs more than just foreign remittances. By connecting young people through direct service, they will build a far deeper connection, which will likely result in them being advocates of this work when they return to the UK.
We require foresight. When initiating any new programmes, we must keep at the forefront of our mind the British-Indian children who are growing up. When they reach the age of 16, will they have the opportunities or desire to build their own relationship with India, grounded in their own experience? It will take at least six years to design and mature programmes that will enable these youth to connect to India in ways that will embrace the diversity of their aspirations. By having a clear focus on building ways for those between the ages of 16-26, we will be able to positively influence them in their formative years.
To achieve this, we must continue to ask searching questions and we must listen to young British-Indians of today. This is not an academic exercise or words left behind in a conference. There is so much more to understand about the British-Indian relationship to India, however, we must act with urgency. We must build a deeper understanding of how they experience the world, their aspirations and together start to shape what this future relationship with India looks like.
Bridge India
June 11, 2019
source https://indiaoutbound.org/building-the-next-chapter-of-the-british-indian-story/
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